Yesterday was the first time I had a chance to visit a very small farmer's market one town over. I'm from New Jersey, the Garden State. If the most of Jersey you have ever seen is the area around Newark Airport, you might be confused as to the accuracy of our nickname. In reality, most of the state is green and lush.
And if there was ever any doubt that we grow good produce, yesterday's adventure dispelled that notion.
Like an artist's palette, my choices lay spread out before me. Reds, greens, purple, white and yellow. The scent of freshly turned earth. Despite the heat and the roar of traffic just a few yards away, it was an inspiring site. It's a deeply satisying experience to brouse the stands smelling each tomato, tasting each herb. It touches something primal in me, as though I am the ancient gatherer, hunting for the choicest plants to feed my family. It is so much more personal than the cold sterility of the supermarket where every fruit and vegetable shines with a layer of wax and the tomatoes are all perfect red bland spheres.
I was moved to create as colorful a dinner as I could with such unbelievably fresh and beautiful produce. And for some bizarre reason, I felt compelled to write about it. I suppose I could try to give some convoluted excuse that kossacks should frequent their local small farmers in keeping with our progressive values, or about the lessened carbon footprint of locally grown produce versus out of season strawberries shipped from Chile. But really, this is about the simple joys in life. About creating and doing something that makes you happy.
By the way, that heirloom tomato is simply huge, 1.5 pounds.
When I first saw the tomato, I knew exactly what I needed. Like a natual symbiot, the vendor right next to farm stand provided the perfect partner for such a rich, luscious tomato. Silky, tender buffalo mozzeralla made just that morning. All it needed was some basil, olive oil, salt and pepper and I had a jewel-like first course that was sweet and salty and spicy and creamy all at the same time:
Next, what to do with the purple and white beans? Buying them was a real impulse. There is something about purple veggies. They are just so unusual that I feel like they have to be good. The purple beans were far tougher than I expected. I would need to give them a good steam before serving them.
Alas, as diverse as the selection at the farmer's market is, there are always a few items that they cannot or do not grow in New Jersey. So a quick hop to Whole Foods (chosen because it was on the way home) provided the orange and ginger I needed for the beans. It also gave me a smug sense of satisfaction as I noticed their "local" produce and heirlooom tomatos were twice the price I had paid for them.
Any way, back to the beans. I decided on a quick steam and then an oriental dressing of fresh orange juice, soy sauce, sesame oil and grated ginger. Plus a healthy amount of toasted sesame seeds. I have to admit I was disappointed that the purple beans turned green when I cooked them. Oh well, live and learn:
Next was the main course. So far, I had two room temperature salads. I needed something hot and hearty. Purple and white striped eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, red and white bell pepper, and 5 tiny red onions, olive oil, pepper salt, dried italian herbs and two cloves of garlic. Colorful, simple and just aching to be roasted:
45 Minutes later I mashed up the roasted garlic and mixed it with a few dashes of balsamic vinegar. Tossing it all together created a rich and hearty dish of rcreamy eggplant, tender squash and tangy peppers.
Dessert. What to do about dessert. I had bought some wonderful looking white peaches, but they weren't ripe yet. So I tried something tht I've only seen done on the Food Network. I grilled them.
This could have gone either way. Luckily instead of being a complete disaster and waste of a perfectly good piece of fruit, they were magnificent. I grilled them for a few minutes until the were soft and then drizzled them with a sweet balsamic reduction and some toasted almonds. If you've never tried using balsamic vinegar with fruit, you have to try it. Especially with strawberries. There is something in the rich acidity that make fruit taste more fruity.
So there you have it. I started off with veggies and no recipes. I think I did pretty well. And without meaning to, I made my first vegetarian meal. Hell if it weren't for the mozzarella, it would have been vegan.
I also have leftovers for the rest of the weekend. As usual, due to my Jewsih mother training, I made way too much food. No worries though, I have the feeling the beans will only get better as they continue to marinate in the dressing, and I'm looking forward to a sandwich with some of the roasted veggies and a health schmear of goat cheese.
And the best part is, it is so freakin healthy, that I have no qualms about going out and drinking tonight. I feel like I deserve a reward.
Thank you local farmer's market. You truly are a gift that keeps on giving.